Alternative Titles/Edition History:
Originally released in 2002 as half of Wacht Am Rhein, orig. "produced by George Kelln." AKA Wacht am Rhein: Operation Autumn Mist.
Second Edition (2022) is Wacht Am Rhein: Hitlers' Last Gamble in the West, Volume 2.
Publisher/Date:
Lone Canuck Publishing (2022)
Product Type:
Scenario Pack
Country of Origin:
Canada
Contents:
8 scenarios on cardstock
Wacht Am Rhein, Volume 2 was originally published in 2002 as Wacht Am Rhein, a scenario pack on the Battle of the Bulge with 16 scenarios. Many years later, in 2018, Lone Canuck split the 16 scenarios of that pack into two, took 8 of those scenarios and heavily revised them, releasing them as a “Second Edition” of Wacht Am Rhein, along with a half-sheet of counters. This pack consists of the other 8 original Wacht Am Rhein scenarios, also heavily revised (with changes such as switching geoboards).
Unfortunately, what this pack DOESN’T tell you on its packaging–nor does Lone Canuck tell you on its website–is that you need the first Wacht Am Rhein 2nd edition pack in order to play these scenarios. This is because the WAR1 contains counters, such as bangalore torpedo counters and Volksgrenadier counters, which are required to play the scenarios in this pack (nor are the counters the same as the MMP Volksgrenadier counters released in products in 2023-24). Three of the eight scenarios require the WAR1 counters.
The scenarios tend to be fairly big; all are medium or large in size. Most are vehicle heavy. WaR15 (Glimpse of the Meuse) has the most vehicles, with a combined total for both sides of 59 (!), but five other scenarios have from 9 to 19 vehicles as well. The scenarios are also typical of LCP scenarios in loading up infantry forces with SW. WaR16 (Ambitious Ideas), for example, features 15.5 American squads with 11 SW and 26 German squads with 17 SW. WaR11 (Penny Packets) has 11 German squads with 6 SW and 18 American squads with 17 SW (!), including a total of 8 MMG/HMG. That is simply an overwhelming amount of firepower.
Five of the eight scenarios have OBA, while a single scenario has Air Support. No scenarios use Night rules. To play all the scenarios, players need access to geoboards 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 16, 19, 23, 24, 33, 42, 43, 49, 56, 85, and 12a, and ASLSK board s.
The most popular and balanced of the original versions of these scenarios was WaR 13 (Aus der Traum), but virtually every aspect of the scenario has been changed from the original, so it is unlikely to play at all the same way the original scenario did. It does look like the scenarios in this pack were re-playtested (which is a very good thing), as the playtesters listed for this product are not the same playtesters listed in the original WaR from 2002.
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